Fiber-dressing machinery.



A. L. J. TAIT.

FIBER DRESSING MACHINERY.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 21, 1908.

986,24A, Patented Mar.7, 1911.

wz w sas 172029222107 ALFRED LAUNCELOT JAIVIES TAIT, OF DUNEDIN, NEWZEALAND.

FIBER-DRESSING MACHINERY.

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fipeeification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. "2, 1911.

Application filed January 21, 1908. Serial No. 411,895.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that T, Anrnun LinNcnLo'r Jaiuns Tarr, a subject of the Kingof Great Britain, residing in the city of Duncdin, in the BritishDominion of New Zea land, inventor, have invented certain new and usefulln'iprovements in Fiber-Dressing tions or steps, in the process oftreating and Machinery, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in fiber dressingmachines and it relates more particularly to a machine capable oftreating hard fibers such as Manila stalks, hemp or sisal and softfibers such as Lin/mt 'ussitutssimmm or straw in either a green or asubsequently dry condition.

The invention aims asa primary object to provide novel means foreffecting an end to end dressing of the fibers during their continuoustravel througl'i the machine and to provide for a novel dressingoperation in which the dressing devices travel at a greater speed thanthe fiber feeding or carrying devices.

The invention aims as a further object to provide novel details ofstructure and arrangement, residing more particularly in the essentialelements comprising cooperating carrying cylinders and a chain providedwith various fiber dressing devices and movable with relation toportions of the peripheries of said cylinders.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is alongitudinal sectional view of a machine constructed in accordance withthe present invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of such machine.

Similar characters of reference denote corresponding parts throughoutthe said views.

The various operating elements of the present machine are supporteddirectly or indirectly from a frame 1, which at its forward end isprovided with bearings for the upper and lower transverse parallelshafts 2 and 3 that carry the respective fiber carrying cylinders d and5 which cylinders rotate in relatively opposite directions. Suchopposite rotation is effected by means of intermeshing pinions 6 and 7provided on the shafts 2 and 3, the latter shaft carrying also a bandwheel 8 which may be connected with any source of driving power.

Above the cylinder t a number of cooperating pairs of fiber feeding andbreaking rollers 9 are mounted in any suitable manner, the fiber beingintroduced between the l l l cooperating rollers 9 from an inclinedshelf 10. 'idditional feeding rollers 11 are mounted above the cylinder4: in suitable spring pressed bearings 12 of approved form by means ofwhich the rollers 11 are held in contact with the peripheral surface ofsaid cylinder 4t. If desired, for certain operadressing fiber theforemost roller 11 may be circumferentially corrugated as shown in Fig.2. i

For the purpose of removing any fibers which might otherwise cling tothe surface of the rollers, OSPOClilllY when the fiber is treated in awet condition scraping blades 13 are provided for each of the cylindersl: and and the rollers 11, which blades lie against the periphery ofsaid rollers as is obvious. T he rollers 11 are positively driven.Toward this end their shafts lat are provided with pinions 15 which aresmaller than and in mesh with the pinion 6.

In the rear of the cylinders 4: and 5 and the mechanism appurtenantthereto, upper and lower transverse shafts 16 and 17 are supported,between which are arranged intermediate shafts 18 and 19. The shaft 18is carried by stationary brackets 20 and the shaft 19 is carried bybrackets 21 which are adjustable longitudinally of the correspondingbrackets 20 by conventional bolt and set nut connections as 20 the boltspassing through registering slots 22 in said brackets The shafts 16 and17 carry at their ends chain or belt supporting pulleys and the shafts18 and 19 carry guide pulleys 2d and 25, the pulleys 25 being more inthe nature of tension pulleys, and being of course positioned withrelation to the pulleys 241 in accordance with the adjustments of thebrackets 21. The shaft 16 also carries a band wheel 26 which may beoperatively connected to the band wheel 8, the latter being stepped asshown in Fig. 2.

Parallel belts or chains 27 are passed over the pulleys 23, 24- and 25,said belts or chains, being of course driven by the upper pulleys 28.

The belts or chains 27 conjointly support transverse scrapers 28, whichmay be combined for the different processes of treat ment with small,rollers 29, combs 30, or narrow brushes 31, all of these elements, 29,30, and 31 being shown incidentally in Fig. 1.

For the purpose of wetting the fibers, if desired, during the dressingand cleaning operation water may be sprayed thereon through a pipe 32which extends transversely of the machine in the rear of the rollers 11.

For the purposes of treating dry fiber, a guide tucker 3% is employed,such guide tucker being arranged transversely in the throat of thepassageway between the cylinders 4t and and being capable of a slightmovement or play with relation to said cylinders, as by crank mechanism(not shown). As an adjunct of said guide tucker and located rearwardlythereof I preferably employ an air blower 34. It is obvious that theguide tucker 33 and air blower 8% are not necessary in treating wetfibers, as these will cling to the surface of the cylinder t.

In ope *ation, the fiber is fed through the breaking rollers 9 and therollers 11 and cylinder rand passing over the periphery of the latter istreated by the devices ca "ried by chains 27 which devices, traveling inthe direction of rotation of the cylinder at but at a greater speed thanthe said cylinders dress the fiber, scraping, rolling, combing orbrushing off waste parts as needed. During the continued rotation of thecylinders and 5, the fibers enter therebetween and are dischargedtherefrom. Arrows indicate the relative directions of motions. quickermovement of the fiber dressing at tachmcnts throws the back ends of thefiber against the baflier plate and so the said back ends of fiber aredriven between the dressing attachments and cylinder 5, the fiber stillpassing through between both cylinders. Thus it is dressed from end toend, which operation, has hitherto been dilficult of attainment unlessby complicated arrangements.

The frame 1 may be provided with a suitable drain (not shown) throughwhich the water introduced from the pipe 32 is led otl.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim 1. In an apparatus ofthe type set forth, in combination, two oppositely rotatable The 2cylinders arranged to co-act in delivering fibers therebetween, one ofsaid cylind rs receiving and carrying material fed to its peripheralsurface, the said material being ultimately carried between thecylinders, and fiber dressing means cooperating with the peripheralsurfaces of the cylinders and movable continuously in one direction withrelation to the peripheral surfaces of both cylinders. V

2. In an apparatus of the type set forth, in combination, a rotatablecylinder, means for feeding fibers to the peripheral surface of saidcylinder, chains movable concen trically of a portion of said peripheralsurface, said chains having movement at a speed greater than the speedof travel of said cylinder, and fiber dressing devices carried by saidchains.

3. In an apparatus of the type set forth, in combination, two oppositelyrotatable cylinders, means for feeding fibers to the peripheral surfaceof one of said cylinders, and fiber dressing means comprising chainsmovable concentrically of adjacent portions of the periphenl surfaces ofsaid cylinders at a speed of travel greater than the speed of travel ofsaid peripheral surfaces and fiber dressing devices carried by saidchains.

a. In an apparatus of the type set forth, in combination, two oppositelyrotatable cylinders, one of said cylinders receiving and carryingmaterial fed to its peripheral surface, fiber dressing means cooperatingwith the perhoheral surfaces of said cylinders and moving continuouslyin one direction with relation to the peripheral surfaces of bothcylinders, and a guide tucker disposed in the throat of the passagewaybetween said cylinders.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twowitnesses.

ALFRED LAUNOELOT JAMES TAIT.

Witnesses Hnn'ron' MAOAULAY Davey, FREDERICK R. DUNSFORD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

